Helium 3: Fight for the Future

by Brandon Q. Morris

  “Grisok made an interesting observation,” said Norok. “We only figured it out when I told him about Kimi’s theory. Grisok?”

  The old man raised his head and started speaking softly. “I’ll make it quick. Since the launch, I’ve been monitoring the four fascinating gas giants with our radio telescope. Something is going on in all radio bands that will make things even more interesting when we reach the first gas giant. In order to calibrate it, I needed a zero line, so I also looked through the telescope at the empty areas in between the planets. This is how I discovered that there are also radio waves generated there. At first I thought it was an electronic interference effect in the receiver, but then I aimed the telescope at areas outside the ecliptic. And it was calm there. This means something is happening on the planets’ orbital plane that we can still receive here.”

  “Could it be that there are spaceships exchanging radio messages there?” Kimikizu asked.

  “That’s exactly what it looks like to me. It could, of course, also be that the source is a physical process we’re unfamiliar with.”

  “And how can we tell the difference?” asked the Iks from the far right.

  “We’d know that they were messages if we were able to decipher the content.”

  “And can we do that?”

  “That’s the problem. We’re not familiar with the encryption. We don’t understand a word. But that still wouldn’t be enough, because it doesn’t even seem like they use any words whatsoever.”

  “So then it’s a physical process?”

  “That occurs only in the ecliptic? In that case, we should have Strorok’s Premise on our side,” said Grisok. “Now excuse me, I have to get back to work.”

  The old Keeper left the room. The Iks sitting right next to Kimikizu—whose name she still didn’t know—sat up and raised his wing in admiration. He meant her.

  “Could you explain to me how you came up with wormholes?” he asked.

  Confrontations

  Kasfok was worried about what might happen while he was making his return trip to the fleet. Though he was not entirely sure who his enemies were, he knew they existed and that it was a risk for him to be gone so long. He’d had to personally convince himself of the aliens’ activities to be sure that he wasn’t staring at a distorted picture. There could be traitors right in his fleet who could use false information to harm him. He had to accept the risk that while he was absent from the fleet, it might occur to somebody to seize power, and that by the time he returned it would be a done deal.

  It was hardly the first time a Netmaster had fallen out of favor. The consequence was death. When a leader no longer had the trust of all the individual webs under his power, he was expected to die in battle to restore his title, or to commit an honorable suicide once defeat was in sight to restore his honor and that of his web.

  Of course, in theory there was also the possibility of voluntary surrender, although this was accompanied by the loss of all rights and privileges, permanently destroying personal honor. A deposed leader lived the rest of his days as an outcast and was dependent on alms. Kasfok could not remember hearing of any leader of a web or community of webs who chose this route. He would certainly not be the first to do so!

  The reconnaissance craft fired its position nozzles, and the ship turned on its own axis until the nosecone was pointing into free space. Kasfok was about to give the order to fire the main engine when the line of communication transmitted an emergency vibration. At the same time, the smell of fear pheromones permeated the small central station.

  The asteroid has launched another pod, the remote scout drummed excitedly. Its course vector is pointing in our direction!

  Could they have discovered us? Kasfok asked.

  No, Netmaster, given the small size of our ship, and the fact that we’re shielded by the planet, this should not be possible. We were only able to detect the pod because of the energy output from its engine.

  But they’re flying in our direction. They must have discovered us... The moment he drummed out these words, he was struck by an idea. What else is in the direction of their flight?

  The fifth planet, Netmaster. Where the net fleet is.

  This was precisely what Kasfok had feared. The aliens had either discovered the net fleet, or they wanted to venture toward the gas giant, which would clearly reveal why they were in this system. He found the first scenario unlikely. It should have been challenging to distinguish the comparatively small signatures of the ships in his fleet from the array of energetic signals emanating from the planet itself. Yet, the aliens would certainly have sent more than just one tiny ship if they knew that there was an entire fleet in orbit around the planet. Whatever they were, they weren’t suicidal.

  He wondered if they should try to attack and destroy the pod. Yet there were too many arguments against such an attempt. It would take several macropulses for the aliens to get close to them, and flying the recon aircraft toward them would mean showing up on the enemy’s tracking screens. The advantage of surprise would be lost. Besides, this wasn’t a warship, just a poorly-armed reconnaissance aircraft. They knew next to nothing about the enemy, the pod, or its fighting strength.

  It would be unwise to seek confrontation without being confident of their own superiority, even if their instincts clamored for war. Perhaps the small ship was just a reconnaissance craft, too. Kasfok thought it would be smarter to ambush and destroy the aliens before they had the opportunity to send a message to the asteroid ship. The longer they remained undiscovered, the greater the prospect of a quick victory.

  Bring the planet between us and the alien ship, Kasfok ordered the Shipmaster of the reconnaissance craft. We’ll accelerate at top speed while we’re shielded by it. I don’t want them to be able to measure our exhaust gas stream.

  The Shipmaster confirmed the order with a few dance steps.

  Radio drummer, transmit the recorded data to the net fleet. Everyone should see that I was right to issue the warning. The aliens are on their way to the fifth planet to take what is rightfully ours. Give the order on my behalf to prepare immediately for battle! I want all ships to be ready upon arrival. The aliens will not be far behind us

  We will destroy them without mercy!

  Since receiving Netmaster Kasfok’s call to prepare all ships for combat, Tolkut had communicated with the other Shipmasters several times. None of them were ready to strike against Kasfok before he returned to the net fleet. They wanted to wait. Tolkut cursed the indecisiveness of his co-conspirators, although he could partially understand their reasoning.

  Three macropulses had passed, and a new, distressing message had arrived from the reconnaissance craft, which was still making its return flight. The huge generation ship had also started to move. Its course vector, like that of the pod, was pointing right at the fifth planet. Even though it flew much slower than the smaller ship and would arrive several macropulses later, there was no longer any doubt about the aliens’ intentions. They were aiming for the gas giants, and their flight to the inner planet had just been a maneuver to make the necessary course correction. In this respect, Kasfok had been correct. The aliens were their competition for the coveted resource!

  All the same, Tolkut still believed in the possibility of a peaceful coexistence. Even though this way of thinking was new and unfamiliar to the Mendraki, contradicting a deeply-rooted disposition, it was the only sensible option in Tolkut’s eyes, especially as it now seemed certain that the generation ship’s inhabitants were hardly behind the Mendraki technologically.

  Tolkut had requested another meeting. Kasfok would be back the following day, and then it would be far more challenging to put an end to his rule. There was the possibility of isolating the reconnaissance flight and preventing the current Netmaster from returning to his flagship. Once he had access to all the power afforded by his rank, the chances of successfully rising against him would be significantly lower.

  This time Tolkut had insisted that they mee
t face-to-face. The pretext was for the Shipmasters to discuss the tactical procedure in the event of the anticipated space battle. Though all the Shipmasters who were loyal to the Netmaster were undoubtedly surprised at not having been invited, it was not uncommon for several ships to join forces in smaller groups, especially if everyone knew that not all Shipmasters and their crews would share a web.

  The animosity between the different webs—which had led to the destruction of the home planet—had never disappeared, not even after the catastrophe, although Tolkut believed that the surviving Mendraki should have learned their lesson. But here, too, reason and logic stood against primal instincts and established behavior patterns. The ships continued to be staffed strictly in accordance with the lineage of the individual webs, and the old alliances had also been preserved in the net fleet for generations. The insight that they could only survive as a group was all that had prevented significant conflicts so far. Although Tolkut feared that a revolution could release the pent-up tensions between the networks, he saw no other option if they wanted a chance for a future.

  We must come to a decision, Tolkut drummed, emphasizing the sense of urgency with a few dance steps.

  In addition to him were Doskart from the Mild Breeze over Endless Forests, Kilmek, who was the Shipmaster of the Gusty Winds Rend Every Web, Lebdar, commander of the Red Skies by the Light of Dawn, Munion from the Unity Alone Ensures Victory, and Serant, the Shipmaster of the Balm of the Dense Morning Fog. Shipmaster Palter, who was indisposed due to a technical problem aboard the Silken Thread of the Homeland, had already pledged his unconditional support to Tolkut a long time ago.

  Seven Shipmasters out of twenty! Tolkut couldn’t count on more. If he was reading the signs correctly, two or three Shipmasters might possibly be neutral in a dispute over the leadership. All the others were either committed to Kasfok, or there were family ties to his web. This would have to be enough.

  I agree with Tolkut, Shipmaster Lebdar tapped out on the thread that connected them, and that had no connection to the ships’ communications web. This is our chance!

  I think an uprising is unjustifiable at this time, now that we’re threatened by an unknown enemy. Of course it was Doskart who had misgivings. Tolkut hadn’t expected anything else. From the beginning, Doskart had been the most insecure of his allies.

  You’re falling for Kasfok’s propaganda, Munion cut in before Tolkut himself could disagree. Who says the aliens are our enemies? They’re probably just as desperate as we are. This is what the size of their generation ship suggests, anyway.

  Nevertheless, they’re rivals for the helium-3 to be found here, Doskart stubbornly persisted.

  Of which there’s more here than we need for the next thousand generations, Lebdar drummed, performing steps of impatience that were accompanied by a corresponding pheromone release. We only want to fill up our repositories here and remain for one or two generations to build a few new ships using the raw materials from the asteroids and moons. The old ones are bursting at the threads, and they are in urgent need of repairs that will take a long time.

  And we have to do this now, before the last Mendrak who still knows the old manufacturing methods and has mastered the necessary technology dies, Serant agreed. We have already lost much knowledge. If we don’t act in this generation, we will expire like a freshly spun web in the midday sun.

  But we can’t know whether the aliens are friendly. Doskart wasn’t going to give up quickly.

  They certainly won’t be if we attack them, Tolkut replied emphatically. We should contact them first. If this fails or their reaction is hostile, there will still be time to consider war. But if we leave it to Kasfok, this won’t be a possibility. He wants to shoot first and ask questions later. What if they’re not as defenseless as Kasfok assumes, and they strike back hard? How many losses do you think we can afford?

  Vibrations on the thread ceased momentarily, since nobody had an answer. Or rather, they all knew the answer. Everyone was well aware that they were already pushing the limits of their ability to survive. Even if they were to win a war, it would cost lives and could mean the end of the Mendraki. They couldn’t afford to lose ships or their crews if they still wanted to be able to travel onward and find a new home planet. In Tolkut’s eyes, a victory that still involved many deaths would be even worse than a crushing defeat, because it would lead to a slow and painful end to their race.

  The six other Shipmasters were also aware of this, even if some did not want to admit it.

  Let’s vote, Tolkut urged, stressing his determination with emphatic dance steps. His pheromone organ produced the scent of powerful determination.

  Everyone accepted Tolkut’s proposal. Even Doskart, who was the last to agree.

  It’s decided! Tolkut jutted his mandibles forward menacingly. We’ll stop the reconnaissance ship with Kasfok on board and ask him to resign. If he doesn’t comply, we’ll shoot him down as soon as he comes within range of our guns!

  49th of Frien, 298

  The flight to the gas giant was uneventful. They passed three rock planets in a row that had little in common. Kimikizu almost felt like she was in a museum. The home sun had possessed only one companion, which the Iks had condemned to crash into the mother star when they’d launched. On the other hand, this system was blessed with numerous celestial bodies, and the fact that they were uninhabited was nothing short of a miracle.

  All the planets were suited for the development of life, perhaps apart from the first. The second one, for example, had an interesting, dense atmosphere. Those hailing from the southern islands would feel comfortable here. They would be able to fly at high altitudes even without a spacesuit, just with a mask. It was a bit warm on the ground, and the temperatures were similar to those of the South Islands. The home planet had always had the same side facing its sun, although it described a highly elliptical orbit. The Iks were accustomed to extreme cold as well as scorching heat. But everyone ultimately preferred the climate they were used to according to their lineage. In any case, eggs could be hatched on the surface of the second planet in record time.

  The third planet was a water world with a rather cold climate and only one gigantic landmass. Through the optical telescope it looked unapproachable, perhaps because of how intensely blue it was in color. Kimikizu felt that they should keep their distance. The big moon that orbited this world was also peculiar.

  During their flight, they didn’t see the fourth planet, which in actuality was now number three. When they crossed its orbit, it was lingering behind the central star. By the time they reached it, they had already determined that it had a thin atmosphere. It was relatively small and had a significantly lower level of gravity, but flying there with muscle power alone would still be challenging. Ultimately, the Providers would decide, but Kimikizu didn’t think her species would populate this planet. No Iks would be willing to live, on a long-term basis, somewhere where it was only possible to leave the nest wearing a flight suit.

  Beyond this desolate planet was an area characterized by rocky, icy fragments. There was also such an asteroid belt in their home system, where the Iks had found their generation spaceship that had brought them to this point. A scan of the area showed that only one asteroid had dimensions similar to their ship. Could there possibly be a real rock planet there? Kimikizu estimated the density of one section. No, there wasn’t enough matter in the whole ring of debris.

  The big asteroid came into view, and Kimikizu had the data for it displayed. The Knowledge Guardian had already done the work. He was continuously analyzing data in his little room. The spectrograph showed that the large asteroid was also rich in water. That seemed to be a peculiarity of this system—abundant water, not only on the water world, but on every other celestial body. Even the desolate planet must have stored enough frozen water to cover its entire surface with an ocean that was one and a half wingspans deep.

  She was starting to get bored. Should she visit the Guardian? Maybe he’d welcom
e a diversion? She got up and looked around the cockpit. Norok was not there. He was probably sleeping on the roost in one of the compartments. It was certainly a bit more comfortable than spending a free shift in the seat.

  “Do you know where the Guardian is?” she asked her neighbor.

  “Room 4C,” he replied, “but Grisok doesn’t like visitors. He won’t let you in.”

  Kimikizu nodded with her beak. It wouldn’t hurt to try. But first she’d have a dust bath. She left the cockpit and went down the corridor to the hatch Norok had shown her. She was in luck. The dust bath was free, and it was heated. She went in and closed the hatch. Then she folded her wings, spread them out, and folded them again. She repeated the motion a few times to stir up the dust properly. The dust was so fine that it cleaned her feathers perfectly. It didn’t work as well with water because of the capillary effect, and dust cooled the skin more comfortably than water. Nothing relaxed her like a bath in the dust.

  As always, when she was content with herself and the world, her thoughts started to flow. She imagined the future. She was particularly drawn to the gas giant toward which they were directly heading. It was so big that the pressure inside was unimaginable. The better their technology got, the deeper they’d be able to go, although they’d never reach the core. This planet would never stop puzzling them, which was Kimikizu’s idea of paradise.

  The sound of knocking brought her back to reality. She’d have to relinquish the dust bath to the next Iks. Kimikizu shook herself off. Most of the dust fell back into the bath bowl. What remained in her plumage would be automatically replaced. She opened the hatch and climbed up into the corridor, where one of the Explorers was waiting.

  “Enjoy,” she said, and he thanked her.

  Room 4C wasn’t far. It wasn’t apparent from the outside that this was where the Keeper was working. She pushed the door opener. If the occupant approved, the door would slide aside. Kimikizu waited. When she was about to turn around, the door to the room opened.